Operation Brock will remain in place until after the Easter Bank Holiday weekend ‘as a precaution’, the Kent Resilience Forum has confirmed.

Leaders say it is being kept to manage the flow of traffic to the Port of Dover and at Eurotunnel in Folkestone as freight volumes are expected to rise over the long weekend.

Cross-channel disruption has been causing gridlock on the M20 since March 31, having a huge knock-on effect on diversion routes across the county.

Operation Brock Zero means the coastbound M20 is closed between Junction 8 for Leeds Castle and Junction 11 for Hythe.

Drivers are being sent on a six mile diversion through Ashford which will also remain in place for the time being.

While both freight and passenger traffic has been flowing well along cross-Channel routes since the weekend, the volume of HGVs heading to Europe has increased and is set to increase again ahead of Thursday evening.

It means hauliers must be ready to join a moving queue in Brock and have all their paperwork in order to avoid further delays at the border.

Tourists driving to the continent via ferry and Le Shuttle for the Easter break should also be prepared to follow the signed diversions to Dover and Folkestone and for journeys to take longer than normal.

Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) strategic planning lead Simon Jones said: “KRF partners, including National Highways, Kent County Council and Kent Police, continue to work around the clock to keep Kent’s roads flowing as smoothly as possible.

“Tourist traffic is currently moving freely through to Dover and Eurotunnel and both gateways have the capacity to handle existing passenger bookings for Easter weekend.

“But with freight levels set to increase again as we go through this week, we will continue to closely manage truck traffic with controlled releases from the M20 to avoid further disruption – and this will remain our approach as we go through the remainder of the Easter holiday period.

“Traffic management, including on the M20 and A20, helps everyone on the move reach their destination as quickly and safely as possible and ensures Kent remains open for our communities, business, staycationers and overseas visitors despite reduced ferry capacity at Dover.

"Thank you to everyone affected for their ongoing patience and continued support as we work to keep Kent moving.”

While Brock remains in place, all drivers heading across the Channel must follow overhead motorway signs to ensure they are in the correct lane for their crossing point.

Enforcement also remains in place across the Kent road network to ensure EU-bound HGVs not following the traffic management system are directed to Brock to avoid congestion in Dover.

Nicola Bell, regional director at National Highways, said: “Our top priorities are to help people complete their journeys and allow local communities and businesses to go about their daily business with minimal disruption.

“EU freight heading for the ports must continue to use the M20, enter the coastbound carriageway at Junction 8, follow instructions and join the queue of HGVs moving towards the ports.

"While the M20 remains closed southbound, all other drivers should follow the signed diversion and allow more time for their journeys.

“We keep the deployment of operation Brock under continual review.

"Any decision to remove the barrier or reopen the M20 will be taken jointly, with our partners in Kent.

"We thank our customers and the people of Kent for their continued patience.”

In addition to allowing plenty of time for journeys, KRF partners are also advising people driving in or through Kent to continue being prepared for potential delays by checking routes, and vehicles, including tyres, before leaving home.

Logistics UK has criticised the traffic management system for leaving hundreds of HGV drivers stuck without access to basic hygiene facilities, food and water.

Heidi Skinner, Policy Manager – South at Logistics UK, said: “Logistics UK is calling for an urgent review into the effectiveness of Operation Brock as a traffic management scheme, and most importantly, the humanitarian issues it raises as HGV drivers are left unable to access basic hygiene facilities, food and drink; local residents are also left to cope with challenging road diversions and disruption.

"Over the past couple of weeks, Operation Brock has been implemented for its first period of prolonged use and there are undoubtedly lessons that need to be learned.

"HGV drivers must be given access to basic welfare facilities while in long queues; this review is needed urgently, and we must consider how our HGV drivers can be better provided for when there are delays in accessing our ports in Kent."

There are claims drivers are being ordered to stay in their cabs, meaning they can't get out go to the toilet.

In response to the claims, a Kent Resilience Forum spokesperson said: “For safety reasons it is not possible to provide welfare on a live motorway but when cross-Channel freight queues were at a standstill food and water was provided.

"The Kent Resilience Forum are working hard to keep traffic flowing as much as possible which means lorries within the queue are frequently asked to keep moving forward.

"It is therefore not safe to walk amongst live traffic and, with the safety of lorry drivers in mind, Kent Police officers and National Highways officers will often ask drivers to remain/return within their cabs or the coned off section.”